2016-09-14

Members see the benefits to the HFA in their bottom line

By Mary Frye
September 2016

Organizations like the Home Furnishings Association are at their most tangible best when members save money for products and services they need and use in their businesses every day. With each interaction with these providers, HFA members see their membership at work. The HFA has valuable offers for financial services, product protection, store traffic counting, and almost everything else you can think of that an owner needs for running a profitable store.

There’s a category of programs we call “one-and-only” programs that provide the greatest value when as many members as possible use them. Those are programs like consumer financing through Synchrony and business insurance through Arthur J. Gallagher & Company. The more members who use these programs, the more customized and valuable the program can become. It’s like you with the customers you know the best. Because you know them well—perhaps you’ve been in their homes and have provided many home furnishings solutions for them—you think of them often. The Association’s “one-and-only” providers think of HFA member needs in that same way.

Then, there are programs and service providers that offer a great business solution, but they’re among a group of several providers. The home furnishings industry is fortunate to have many companies like this with tremendous services. They each offer different aspects of value that appeal to their customers. The appeal may be based on understanding a particular price point, a region of the country or any number of other reasons that customers want to work with them.

We understand it may be difficult to choose among many good options so the HFA has a way to help you—a new category of membership, Associate Plus. Associate Plus company members offer member advantages through their membership with the HFA.

These companies believe in the HFA so much they’ve become members and support other members by offering a member advantage—a reduced price, an added benefit or some other service that typically requires qualifying for in order to receive. It’s just another something to “sweeten the pot,” one might say!

Associate Plus membership is a growing category of service. If you know a company or if you are a company and want to know more, contact the HFA membership department. We’re always looking for ways to help you.

For secondary and no-credit check consumer financing payment programs, there are three Associate Plus offers with advantages:
Tempoe provides members a zero percent discount rate; a retailer spiff program; a secure, online enrollment process; and on-site and webinar training. Sweet!

Creditsource offers members free enrollment and system access; free tablets for qualifying retailers; and rebates on qualifying program volume. Yes, sweet!

Tidewater Finance offers members services with no enrollment fee; no set up costs; and reduced discounts for payment options that help their customers establish positive credit and payment history. Sweet, indeed!

And there are more valuable offers!

Doorcounts.com provides a powerful real-time information system for store owners and managers for traffic counting, with easy to read graphs and charts. Because it uses cloud-based storage, there are no computers to buy or maintain. What’s the member advantage? HFA members receive a 20-percent discount! Profitably sweet!

And here’s one more Associate Plus offer—Fortegra, a furniture protection and warranty program that many of the industry’s top retailers use. HFA members enjoy exclusive discounts. Protected and sweet!

The Home Furnishings Association connects outstanding retailers with remarkable service and product providers for the benefit of all. That’s what associating does!

Mary Frye is the Home Furnishings Association’s executive vice president. She can be reached at mfrye@myhfa.org or 916.757.1162.

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